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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I want to be buried with this book., April 29, 2002
Those delightful boobies, Thomson and Thompson, reappear in this sequel to 'Cigars Of The Pharoah', at one point ostentatiously disguising themselves in 'Mikado'-like finery to blend in with the Chinese locals, as they attempt to surreptitiously capture Tintin, only gathering an amused crowd in their wake. For many Tintinophiles, 'The Blue Lotus' is the most precious of all Herge's masterpieces; certainly, in the event of a fire, after my dogs, and maybe my wife, my long-battered copy would be the first thing I would rescue. From its famous front cover - a giant, twisting black Chinese dragon on a rich red background, facing Tintin and Snowy as they hide in blue vase patterned with a bird and flowers, the images lit by a pale green lantern - every frame is a detailed artwork in itself. Set largely in Japan and European-occupied Shanghai in the early 1930s, every frame painstakingly evokes the Oriental setting: every wall-covering, item of clothing, ornament, building, street, poster, vehicle. Some of the landscapes and silhouettes are etched with the complex simplicity of a wood-cut by Hokusai, Hiroshige or Taige. The eye-dazzling colour is complemented by a much higher proportion of night scenes than previous Tintins. The deep, sombre colours give the story a melancholy (as do the peeling walls found everywhere behind the prettily picturesque Orientalist scenes). This sadness is matched by the plot's events, not just the violent expansionist plans of Japanese fascists or the culpability of European colonialists, but a world where brave sons turn mad, and orphans nearly drown by sheer chance. Herge's storytelling has also matured significantly since his early efforts: his pacing and variations of tone, his crosscutting and fragmenting of narrative, his sustaining mystery - all come together with superb mastery. And for the first time, because the fictional world created is so believable and historically rooted, Tintin takes on the contours of a genuine hero, much more than a mad marionette endlessly dodging melodramatic villains. His genuine nobility, loyalty and courage, his touching friendship with the orphan Chang, all bespeak fading values in a world crashing towards totalitarianism. A beautiful, urgent book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Herge's masterpiece!, September 27, 2003
This is probably the most exciting and the most interesting of all the 25 Tintin adventures. Considering it was written early in Herge's career (c. 1930s), the level of proficiency and artwork is extraordinary. In this adventure, really the continuation of "Cigars of the Pharaoh" but able to stand on its own, Tintin travels to China to root out an international drug-smuggling gang. During his stay in China, Tintin gets enmeshed in the politics of the time, when the Japanese were secretly creating pretexts for extending their occupation of China. At a time when the European powers were practicing appeasement towards Japan, this adventure is a daring stance in solidarity with the underdog - here being the Chinese. Much of the day-to-day events of the time are interwoven seamlessly with the action of this adventure comic. Neither is the opium trade (the centerpiece of this story) that the colonial powers pushed on China far removed from reality.What is perhaps the most amazing thing about this creation is that Herge never traveled to China, not before nor after this story (though he did go to Hong Kong much later in his life). For information about China, he relied on magazine photos and articles, and on the information provided by a friend and roommate Chang Chong Ching, who played the role model for the Chang Tintin befriends in the story (and whom we encounter later in Tintin in Tibet). Chang is the one who wrote the myriad excellent specimens of Chinese calligraphy ornamenting the book. All the Chinese signs in the adventure are meaningful inscriptions, from simple restaurant signs "Foods" and advertisements for international companies "Siemens" to anti-imperialist and anti-Japanese slogans grafittied on the walls. These signs paint a realistic portrait of the Chinese environment at the time. All my Chinese friends who have read this adventure swear that the depictions of China are realistic and cannot believe that Herge never visited that country! This comic story has all the components for a great piece of art/literature. The artwork is masterful, the settings and scenery realistic, the plot and action entertaining and suspenseful, and the characters well-developed and possess considerable depth. In addition, while the ending is happy, the story is not free from life's tragic moments that bring tears to the eyes. A definite must-read for all Tintin lovers, as well as for those wishing to learn something about China and its recent history.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tintin takes on a vast conspiracy and tries to keep from getting Shanghaied, May 17, 2006
The Blue Lotus is a sequel to Cigars of the Pharaoh, in which Tintin struggled with an international gang of smugglers in north Africa and India. In the current volume, the intrigue with the smugglers takes Tintin from India to Shanghai where his life is constantly in danger as the smugglers try to stop him from finding a cure for their secret poison of madness. There is a racial bias in this volume in favor of the Chinese of Shanghai over the British and Japanese who are portrayed as scheming and self-centered. Hergé must have sympathized with these colonized people who were being threatened by rising Japanese aggression.
Tintin's friendly adversaries, the twin Thompson brothers, detectives, make their appearance in this volume and there is a very funny scene where they try to disguise themselves as Chinese in pre-reform costumes and become the center of attention.
The heroes of the book are the elderly Wang and young Chang, two remarkably clever and resourceful allies.
This series is great at portraying the world between the two great wars in a way that is simple yet respectful. The adventures are well crafted and the color illustrations are sumptuous in detail. Shanghai really comes to life in this book with its opium dens, busy streets, and tea shops.
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